Picturing America Exhibit and Franklin

The Illinois State Library is currently displaying art prints from the "Picturing America" portfolio from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Prints from the 40 large, high-quality reproductions of great American art will be displayed on the library's second floor bridge throughout the rest of the summer. Prints include a James Audubon watercolor of pink flamingos; a stained-glass window by Tiffany; and a black-and-white photograph of Abraham Lincoln by Alexander Gardner as well as a handsome photograph of the 1862 Hiram Powers statue of Benjamin Franklin in the U.S. Senate Collection. All of the artwork is accompanied by "Artist Bio" and "Inspiration" statements as well as a listing of linked resources.

"Picturing America" is distributed by the NEH in cooperation with the American Library Association.
To view the entire collection, visit the Picturing America website.

Bust of Benjamin Franklin

now stands in the Reference Department of the Niles Public Library to commemmorate the successful visit of the Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World Exhibition from October 15 through December 5. The exhibit was made possible by the National Endowment for the Humanities: great ideas brought to life and the American Library Association's Public Programs Office. The exhibit is based on a major exhibition of the same name mounted by the Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary Commission.